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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · field · deal · present · game · chair · lash · mine

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. present — there
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. field — for sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. present — a gift
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. present — the time now
  13. chair — a leader
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — a match
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com